During your time at Prone to Wander: Puglia you will experience the beautiful countryside landscape as we enjoy the restored Masseria that will be our home base. In addition to offering comfortable rooms, our Masseria is an organic farm consisting of a large area of diversified land, including Mediterranean maquis for pastures (a savanna-like shrubland biome, typically consisting of densely growing evergreen shrubs), olive groves, and vineyards. With three generations of family experience, the owners are dedicated to the stewardship of their land.
We will be staying in the northern Salento region of Italy. The location offers numerous sites of great historical and naturalistic importance, such as the Rauccio Natural Park, the local WWF observatory, the Valesium Archaeological Site, the FAI-protected Romanesque Abbey of Santa Maria di Cerrate, and the Via Francigena, which passes through fields of wildflowers, ancient sheep trails, centuries-old olive trees, and Mediterranean vegetation.
In the past, this land was owned mainly by religious orders, who established a dense and impenetrable defensive network of coastal towers and fortified farms in the fifteenth century to protect against the invasion of Otranto, which still characterises and distinguishes the Salento identity today.
The accommodations have been converted from the old stables and other areas used by farmers and breeders and are mostly situated around the inner courtyard where livestock was kept at night.
All rooms have independent entrances and kitchenettes, and have been renovated thanks to purposeful design aimed at making modern guests comfortable while preserving traces of the original function. As such, each room a one of a kind gem. Sturdy and practical antique furniture from the Salento tradition blend seamlessly with modern conveniences for a harmonious, comfortable atmosphere.
There will be both double and single bedrooms available. All rooms have en-suites. The apartments are typical for the region and have thick stone walls which help insulate against the sun and cold. However, there are a/c units should additional cooling be needed.
In addition to the guest rooms, the masseria has several communal rooms which will become gathering places where our group will participate in our culinary workshops, meals, laugh, and visit throughout our week.
The reading room
In the reading room, once used as a stable, a library has been set up which hosts volumes on the history and culture of the area. Additionally you will find books on: culinary art (our hostess has been the photographer for several cook books), botany, old cartographies, photographic prints, illustrated children’s books, sought-after art catalogues, as well as national newspapers, weekly, and monthly publications on local exhibitions and events.
La botanic room
In the botanic room, guests can view old botanical prints, consult books on botany and gardening, illustrated catalogues of villas and gardens, texts and essays on ecology and biodiversity, diaries of passionate men and women, passionate gardeners, architects of the landscape, and artists and patrons who have opened new ways of thinking and experiencing the environment.
Outside the farm, the shaded private roadways lined by stone seats encourage relaxation at any time of the day and lead to a place of extraordinary beauty: the ‘Hortus Conclusus’. In the enclosed garden, surrounded by dry stone walls (a medieval emblem of spirituality where the monks cultivated medicinal plants and fruit trees), the swimming pool encircles a centuries-old olive tree creating a perfect harmony of modern luxury with its surrounding landscape.
In addition to the olive tree that is center of the pool, guests will find wild roses, myrtles, strawberry trees, and medicinal herbs, such as lavender, rosemary and sage, framing the pool giving an uplifting mélange of scents that engage the senses.
Navigation
Follow my journey:
Mailing address:
#146 5954 - 200 St. Langley, BC V3A 1N3
(604) 723-4528
BC Registered Travel Agency License #87175